PX: Kevin Flynn is the voice of reason on Children's deal

There looks to be no turning back from the groundwork done to prepare for the 10-story expansion of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center into the predominantly African-American neighborhood of Avondale. Houses are sold and boarded up. Construction and property-management offices are open.
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Cincinnati Councilman Kevin Flynn says he focuses on projects and initiatives that are "wonky" and "not sexy."(Photo: Enquirer file)Buy Photo

Flynn has said he will not to run again, partly because he gets so frustrated with City Hall's political game-playing. (He reiterated to Politics Extra on Wednesday he doesn't plan to run again as the Aug. 24 filing deadline approaches.)

In cutting through the politics of the Children's deal, here are five things Flynn said ahead of the Council's vote to approve zoning for the hospital's $550 million-plus expansion:

1. QUESTIONING MOTIVES: "Are people here because Dwight Tillery's Closing the Health Gap sent out an email blast? Why would a group that promotes health in the community oppose a half-billion-dollar investment in health care?"

• What it means: The Health Gap sent an email blast Monday asking people to show up to Council to oppose the deal. Tillery, the Health Gap director and former mayor, did not attend the meeting. Many believe Tillery helped sway Council members Yvette Simpson and Wendell Young to push back on the Children's deal at the last minute. It's known that Tillery and his Health Gap were part of a small group of Avondale supporters that two years ago began asking Children's to give $100 million to the organization and nearly 20 other projects and programs in the neighborhood. Ultimately, Children's gave the neighborhood $11.5 million, and the Health Gap didn't receive any money.

UPDATE: On Wednesday afternoon, Simpson responded to the belief that she was swayed by Tillery. "I make my own decisions, period," Simpson told PX. "I heard from Children's and the residents of Avondale and tried to craft a win-win and way forward for them both."

2. ILLEGAL ZONING? "It's very unusual. It's an attempted extraction, and I won't use the word extortion. Money in exchange for rezoning is illegal, immoral and unconscionable. It cannot be done."

• What it means: Simpson and Young introduced a motion on Monday, demanding Children's give another $16 million to $21 million to Avondale in exchange for their support of the zoning change. Flynn is a real estate attorney, so his legal assessment is based on what he does in his day job. PX talked to a zoning attorney who said it's fuzzy because the condition was included in a motion, which is legally non-binding. Since the motion failed, the conditions could not be attached to any deal-related laws.

3. LOTS OF TALK: "We're not rushing. Children's has been working on this for three years. Folks, that's engagement."

• What it means: Children's and community leaders have had several meetings the past two years, based on interviews and a letter hospital CEO Michael Fisher wrote to City Council on Tuesday.

4. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: "Children's needs this critical tower. It has to be here. The fellows and the residents at Children's are shared with UC Health, which is right next door. They rush from hospital to hospital and having surgery and intensive care units right next to each other saves lives. Seconds matter."

• What it means: Doctors and researchers already are located on the same Uptown campus, and it would've spread the hospital's resources thin and been inefficient to build the new facility 25 minutes away in Liberty Township.

5. FROM THE HEART: "On behalf of the tens of thousands of children's lives that will be saved, God bless you Children's."

• What it means: Children's said it treated more than 2,000 Avondale kids last year. The hospital runs year-round clinics based in two Avondale elementary schools. Treating and saving the sickest of children across Avondale, Greater Cincinnati and the world is ultimately what this expansion project is about. Period.